What are the best free music publishing administration platforms for managing songwriter catalogs with split-sheet support?

Here are some of the better free or free-to-start platforms for music publishing administration / songwriter catalog management that support split sheets or at least split tracking well enough for writer-share management.

Best options

1. Songtrust

Best for: Full publishing administration for independent songwriters and small catalogs

• Handles publisher registration, royalty collection, global admin
• Lets you register works with writer/publisher splits
• Has split-sheet-style work registration and collaborator management
• Not truly free long-term: usually no upfront fee, but they take a commission from publishing income

Why it stands out: It’s one of the most established admin platforms and good for artists who want hands-off publishing collection.

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2. TuneCore Publishing Administration

Best for: Artists already using TuneCore distribution

• Includes publishing admin and split registration
• Lets you manage collaborators and ownership percentages
• Often bundled or discounted for existing TuneCore users
• Not fully free, but can be low-cost depending on plan/promos

Why it stands out: Convenient if you already distribute through TuneCore and want one dashboard.

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3. CD Baby Pro Publishing

Best for: DIY artists who want publishing admin with simple setup

• Administers songwriter/publishing registrations
• Supports ownership splits and collaborator data
• Not free; typically an add-on fee plus commission

Why it stands out: Easy entry point and common among independent artists.

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Best truly free / free-tier tools for split-sheet and catalog management

These are not full publishing administrators in the classic royalty-collection sense, but they’re useful if your priority is catalog organization + split sheets:

4. Songspace

Best for: Professional catalog management and rights tracking

• Strong metadata and split management
• Collaboration-friendly
• Some plans may be accessible via trial or partner access, but not generally free forever

5. Airtable / Notion / Google Sheets templates

Best for: Fully free split-sheet and catalog tracking

• Track song title, writers, split %, PRO, IPI/CAE, publisher, ISWC/ISRC, and notes
• Easy to create a split-sheet workflow
• Not a publishing administrator, but excellent for organization

Why it stands out: If you want “free” and flexible, this is the easiest solution.

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Platforms with split-sheet support that are worth checking

These may have limited free access, trials, or inexpensive entry tiers:

• Songtrust
• TuneCore Publishing
• CD Baby Pro
• Songspace
• CreatorIQ / rights-management tools for teams (often not free)

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What to look for in a platform

If split sheets matter, make sure the platform supports:

• Writer and publisher splits
• Multiple collaborators per song
• PRO/IPI/CAE number storage
• Territory and rights type fields
• Version tracking for demos, edits, and alternate titles
• Exportable metadata for PRO registration and publishing admin

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My practical recommendation

If you want the best free option overall, use:

Google Sheets / Airtable + a digital split-sheet template
for catalog and split management, and then register songs with a publishing admin service like Songtrust when you’re ready.

If you want a real publishing admin platform, the best-known choices are:

1. Songtrust
2. TuneCore Publishing Administration
3. CD Baby Pro Publishing

If you want, I can also give you:

• a comparison table
• a free split-sheet template
• or the best option based on your country / PRO / catalog size.